Customer Reviews

Reimagining Church: Pursuing the Dream of Organic Christianity

5 star:		(65)
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3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

"Reimagining Church: Pursuing the Dream of Organic Christianity" by Frank Viola, is sure to send every "clergy-laity" member scratching around for a biblical defense to the claims made against the 1700 year old institutional form of church. And according to Viola, they will not find a "shred of biblical warrant" to support its existence.

At last, the sequel to the highly controversial book, "Pagan Christianity?: Exploring the Roots of Our Church Practices," has arrived! And it is for certain that not all will applaud its arrival to the bookstore. No doubt, many readers are still trying to grapple with the favorable recognition and popularity of the first book to this series of 4 books (2 not yet released) on organic Christianity. The first time, Viola had the help of George Barna and Tyndale in gaining a few listening ears. Now that he has the attention of no small number of readers... he has set off to propose serious answers to an audience that is filled with sincere questions. And "Reimgaining Church" will not leave readers dissatisfied in their quest for the normal Christian church life. In fact, it will leave them hungering for authenticity in the New Testament fashion.

As the saying goes, "You can't judge a book by its cover." Many readers have learned that from PC. So let the reader first understand the title. Viola states, "it's the present practices of the church that I'm seeking to reimagine, not the church itself" (p.13). He clearly outlines his purpose so that there is no misunderstanding. He writes that the purpose of the book is: "to articulate a biblical, spiritual, theological, and practical answer to the question, Is there a viable way of doing church outside the institutional church experience, and if so, what does it look like" (p.12)?

Let there be no mistake, any serious reader cannot accuse Viola of impure motives or building the house of God on sand. Indeed, the foundation of the ideas communicated in this book are constructed upon the triune God (i.e. Trinity as archetype for the church). Therefore, RC should be understood as a proposal that the church of Jesus Christ mirror the very image of God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Viola writes, "the church is the earthly image of the triune God" (p.35). In the spirit of Stanley Grenz, Leonardo Boff, and Miroslav Volf... Viola has wonderfully woven together the fabric of God's eternal purpose in a clear, concise, and intelligent way. Its inspiration can be questioned, as with any author, but its scholarship is insurmountable in its presentation. This is a work for the carpenter and the scholar.

"The Reformation recovered the truth of the priesthood of all believers. But it failed to restore the organic practices that embody this teaching. It was restricted to soteriology (salvation) and didn't involve ecclesiology (the church)" (p.59). In the pursuit of an organic Christianity that is rooted in the triune God, the greatest hurdle will be with what lies at the heart of the institutional model of the church: hierarchal leadership. And Viola goes to great lengths in addressing the error we have made in our teaching and practice of authority and "spiritual covering." He even extends his address in the appendix "Objections and Responses about Leadership."

In every chapter, Viola seems to anticipate the objections and rebukes... and very skillfully, with ease, answers those objections and the many misconceptions that are born out of a first-reading of the ideas presented in PC and RC. I have read all of Viola's similar writings in his original series... and RC in this new series is definitely his finest presentation thus far. He leaves little in his language to trip over... just a great deal of truth to bear.

Readers will appreciate Viola's honesty and sensitivity to the issues. Each chapter builds one upon the other and guides you to the end. I found that when a question would arise, it would quickly be addressed to satisfy a deep-seeded longing to know and follow the truth. Although it is not necessary for the reader to have previously read PC... it is recommended. It is always best to start listening to a conversation from the beginning.

Finally, I want to communicate to the reader that only those interested in spiritual revolution, instead of religious reformation, will benefit from RC. We must be willing to forsake all the new recovery methods of the institution and leave behind all the drama surrounding passions, programs, methods, and movements. It is time for a paradigm shift! Viola writes, "Recovering the organic expression of the church and the practical headship of Jesus Christ necessitates that we forsake our ecclesiastical patches and Band-Aids" (p.270). Only a life fixated on the centrality and supremacy of Jesus Christ and longing to see that expressed in the church...will find comfort in the reading of this book.

A great exodus is occurring even as I write this book review. It is not one of rebellion, but one of submission. Dear reader, consider a renewed Christology that gives birth to a glorious ecclesiology. Consider the message of this book... and let Christ's person and work be reflected in all compartments of life.

I recommend reading:
Pagan Christianity?: Exploring the Roots of Our Church Practices
The Untold Story of the New Testament Church: An Extraordinary Guide to Understanding the New Testament
Paul's Idea of Community: The Early House Churches in Their Cultural Setting, Revised Edition
Life Together: The Classic Exploration of Faith in Community
Created for Community: Connecting Christian Belief with Christian Living
The Centrality of Jesus Christ (Works of T. Austin-Sparks) Volume One

Three years ago, I too "pulled the plug" and stopped attending institutional church. I know the real deal. I've youth pastored, done missions in four continents, and gone to Bible college. Sorry, but I can't fake it any longer. I've struggled, however, in knowing how to be part of the solution, and so I picked up Viola's book in hopes of finding some direction.

"Reimagining Church" doesn't have the bitter edge I expected, but neither does it get as practical as I'd hoped. What it does is establish the biblical description of a New Testament church, minus the clergy system and the church polity that have grown up around that. It points out the way western Christianity has become a reflection of its society, basing church structure on secular business systems. I can verify this, having gone through four years of Bible college, during which I grew sick of hearing CEO terminology applied to the vibrant life of organic church.

Viola does a great job of driving home his points about the church's purpose, it's headship (under Christ alone), and its ability to function without sinking millions into building projects while the poor among us remain unfed. I've seen the things he exposes here, and he does not exaggerate. He also tries to point out the errors of recent church movements (mega-churches, emergent churches, etc.) while underlining the good they've set out to do. I sense a heart of love behind this strident call back to biblical, organic church through homes. I'm with Viola one hundred percent.

In studying Scripture, I'd come to many of the same conclusions about fellowship, accountability, and such, but a few questions remained unanswered. I hope Viola addresses some of these in his next book, already in the works. While this particular title gives the theological and biblical basis for organic church, it deals very little with practical issues, such as how to handle a brother who tries to take over, or gets off base theologically, or how to handle offerings and disbursement of funds to those in need, without getting taken advantage of or being embezzled. The list could go on.

He does admit that organic church will be much messier than institutional church--no facades, no two-hour fashion shows, or worship calisthenics, on Sunday morning. Instead, organic church will have all the vibrancy and untidiness of a family. (With families crumbling, maybe this is why so many gravitate to the safe, sterile environment of most Sunday gatherings.)

I love the church, meaning those who know and follow Jesus and are part of His bride. I've watched for forty years while the institutional church at large spins its wheels, and the society around us gets further and further away from wanting anything to do with religion as they've seen it portrayed. I hope this "reimagining" takes hold in believers' hearts everywhere, so that we can see true life rise up again from the ruins of our man-made efforts.

In "Reimagining Church," Frank Viola has crafted a powerful and engaging book that combines theological precision, spiritual depth, and practical demonstrations which together offer a new vision of church for the twenty-first century. No one can read this book without discovering something fresh about the many texts in the New Testament that describe church and leadership as well as being provoked to look at both in an entirely new way.

I found the book's consistent emphasis on the orthodox teaching of the trinitarian nature of God and how it relates to church practices to be refreshing and insightful. The experiential stories the author presents after each chapter make this a functionally practical book as well as a theological savvy one.

Viola deals with such topics as the role of culture on church practice, the so called doctrine of "covering" and its abuses, the different models of church leadership, apostolic tradition, God's eternal mission and purpose, recent movements that have sought to reform the church, and the organic nature of church - all in a brilliantly provocative and winsome manner.

The first section of the book deals with Community and Gatherings. Here the church is beautifully portrayed as a living organism. An explanation of how this bears upon each dimension of its community life and meetings follows.

The second section deals with Leadership and Accountability. A fresh model of leadership and discipleship is worked out, one that I've not seen before in other books.

In the end, there is an appendix that answers every conceivable objection to the book's arguments. The appendix alone is worth the price of the book in my opinion.

"Reimagining Church" is very comprehensive in what it deals with, yet it is easy to read. Those two elements are rare to find in a non-fiction book today.

I've read many books on mission, church renewal, discipleship, and ecclesiology, and this one is among the very best. Like a skilled instructor, Viola gently walks the reader through his line of thinking point by point. The book is friendly, thought-provoking, persuasive and inspiring.

It forces the reader think in new ways on almost every page. Each chapter builds on the other as an attractive picture of church life based in the nature of God, New Testament teachings, and life experience is sketched out.

Whether or not you've read the deconstructive prequel, "Pagan Christianity?", this is a must-read book. "Reimagining Church" constructively develops the many themes discussed in the first book, but it goes much further, making it a book that stands on its own.

Since I have been a Christian I have always heard that the church is an organism, but this is the first book I have read that develops the implications of that statement and shows why it is relevant to every follower of Jesus.

Some books are timeless in the issues they address. Others are timely. "Reimagining Church" is one of those rare books that are both.

A great follow-up to Pagan Christianity. As I am beginning a new experience of organic church, Reimagining Church brought answers to some nagging questions, like "How do you celebrate the Lord's Supper without it being a ritual?", "What about biblical church leadership?", and "What does an every-member functioning church look like?". The last chapter is worth the price of the whole book. In it, the author outlines various recent solutions to problems typical to the Church, and gives an insightful and inspiring alternative. I was left with an appetite for more. If you're searching for the kind of church life you see in the New Testament, this book will show you that it is not only possible, but it is happening in our generation. Read it!

Reimagining explains so many of my Christian life experiences. For the past 25 years, I have wondered why God set up such an odd and malfunctioning organization that we call the church. I am a Seminary Graduate (M. Div.) and have served the Lord in almost every capacity within the institutional church.

While many Christians will hate Frank Viola for this book my heart shouts and cries out with joy for his message. I now understand why I witnessed so much spiritual, emotional, and financial carnage within the institutional church and their Bible Colleges.

For some of my friends this book caused panic and irritation, but for me it is a balm on the wounds of my broken heart. I hope many will apply its loving and tender counsel not only to their own disappointments with the institutional church, but also to the wounds of their family and friends who have been spiritually crushed, disemboweled, flogged, and beheaded by those who lead and seek to control the institutional churches. Our father, forgive them for they know not what they do!

I'm giving this book one star, but not because I didn't like it, but because I think you should always have a little opposition. A good conversation is formulated by at least two opposing sides.

I liked the house church discussions, I liked the simple church model, and there was a lot in this book I would use for the argument of small groups, home bible studies and even support groups. But what I couldn't defend was the outright slamming of the local church today. And no, it's not because I am a pastor and that this book in someway threatens my employment. Where and how I make my $$$ should be the least of my concerns when we are talking about the advancement of the Kingdom of God.

No, what I couldn't swallow was how the book presented an "all or nothing" approach to what a church is. Apparently, according to Viola a "true church" has to be a church modeled exactly like the churches presented in the bible or it's not a true church. Which kind of negates everything the Holy Spirit has been doing in and through the "American" church for the last several decades. How is this "reimagining the church" if Viola simply wants us to back to the beginning? I would argue that the church IS in a constant state of reimaging itself [hence the term "emergent" church].

I'm sorry, but a Church is not simply "wherever two or more are gathered." A church is not your friends hanging out in a coffee shop. The church is: Doing what Jesus did by the power of the Holy Spirit. It is not defined by structure, location, building, leadership, denomination, or author bias. In fact, I would argue that the whole reason the church met in homes was because it was being persecuted. It wasn't because that was the holy-and-set-apart model to use for the end of time.

Look at Acts 2 what do you see at the "birth" of this new movement? "Then Peter stood up with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd." So here we have a "preacher" yelling to the crowd. I wish Mr. Viola would have started at the "true" beginning if he wanted to be "old school."

Let's not limit God or the Holy Spirit by dictating what the church has to be in order to be true. We have enough heretics and wackos claiming that the bride of Christ is apostate. Because that's what you are doing... when you are tearing down one church, or one denomination or one "way" of doing church, you are smearing the reputation of Christ's bride. And I don't want to stand next to you if that's what you're about.

Pay your pastor, don't pay him. Elder board, or counsel, Robert's rules of order or pull pickled eggs from a jar, who cares? Luckily for us, none of that is spelled out officially for us in scripture. There are no hard-fast rules in scripture about how God wants us to "do" church, only the examples of those who have come before us.

How about... we stop arguing about how to do it.... And just do it.

"Reimagining Church" sets forth a beautiful vision of the church based on the eternal purposes of God. I found it to be insightful and right on target. It is controversial, but sometimes it's necessary to shake things up a bit when the Body of Christ has veered off course (think Martin Luther).

I would certainly recommend reading the book before jumping to conclusions about the author's intent. I believe he addresses leadership, clergy, buildings, etc. in a biblical and compelling way. Viola is not out to dismantle the institution, but to call us to a higher vision-one based upon the eternal purpose of God Himself. He makes it clear in the preface that he is not criticizing the church, which is the people of God. He desires to see the Body of Christ express itself as God intended from the beginning (p.12). He states, "the church, therefore, should not be confused with an organization, a denomination, a movement, or a leadership structure....Therefore, it's the present practices of the church that I'm seeking to reimagine, not the church itself" (p.13).

God loves the Church, but He is certainly not married to its nonbiblical practices and rituals.

In his chapter entitled "Reimagining the Church Meeting", Viola clears up what I believe has been a major point of confusion during much of the church's history: the purpose of the church meeting. He explains that the first century church had various types of meetings-among them apostolic meetings, evangelistic meetings and church meetings (pp. 49-50). The modern church typically attempts to roll all of these up into one weekly meeting. Viola demonstrates here that the church meeting was primarily a believers' meeting; evangelism was not the focus. There were separate meetings for sharing the gospel with the unreached. (How often have we bemoaned the sermon targeted at the unbeliever while we yearn for something for us? Most definitely, we want to see others saved, but at the expense of our own growth? We shouldn't have to sacrifice one for the sake of other).

Viola goes on to contrast today's meeting, which is centered on worship and evangelism, to the first century meeting, which was designed for mutual edification (1 Cor 14:26, Heb 10:24-25) (p.51). How much mutual edification takes place in a typical church service while singing a few songs and listening to a sermon? If not for the times outside the service (i.e. in the parking lot, Sunday school and donut/coffee time), there would be very little interaction among members. And any mutual edification that may happen is certainly seen as secondary to the sermon.

In contrast, according to scripture, every member is to participate in the building up of the Body (Eph 4:16). Each person arrives at the meeting knowing that he or she is vital and brings a portion of Christ to the meeting that is needed by the rest of the members.

And who is in charge of this meeting? Viola points out that Christ is the director of the New Testament gathering. The entire meeting depends upon His headship. He is free to speak through whomever He chooses, and is not limited to a liturgy or order of worship (p. 53). In today's modern service, if Christ were to leave the building, would anyone notice? Likely, things would proceed as planned. However, in an organic church meeting Christ must show up or the meeting is awkward at best, a dismal failure at worst. On the surface one might think this should be avoided at all costs, but which one maps with the heart of our Father and His ways? A meeting laid out in advance by a few paid professionals, designed to be flawless, moving and impressive, or one in which the success of the meeting "depends on the spiritual condition and preparation of each member"? (p. 68). A meeting where the majority of God's people remain passive, or one where all have the opportunity for growth (or reveal the lack thereof)? One in which it's easy to put on a spiritual face and look good, perhaps blend in with the crowd, or one in which your brothers and sisters know you intimately and (speaking of accountability!) know when you are dried up and stale in your walk with Christ?

As Viola poignantly states, "Truthfully, there are few things more conducive to the culture of spiritual life than the open-participatory church meeting that's depicted in the New Testament. God established open-participatory meetings to incarnate the glorious reality of expressing Christ through a fully employed priesthood." (p.58).

Viola insists that Christ cannot be properly expressed (i.e. made visible) unless "every member of a church freely supplies that aspect of the Lord that he or she has received...The Lord Jesus cannot be fully disclosed through only one member. He is far too rich for that (Eph 3:8)" (p.60). So, the purpose of our gathering is not to hear a sermon or even worship (as wonderful as these might be), but "to make the invisible Christ visible through His body." (p. 60).

In his chapter entitled "Reimagining the Gathering Place", Viola explores why the New Testament Christians gathered in homes: 1) the home testifies that the people of God comprise God's house 2) the home is the natural setting for one-anothering 3) the home represents the humility of Christ 4) the home reflects the family nature of the Church, and 5) the home models spiritual authenticity (pp. 86-92). Contrary to popular belief, the church did not meet in homes because of persecution or because they were too poor to erect a building.

In the chapter "Reimagining the Family of God" Viola demonstrates that the chief metaphor for the church is family (p. 98). The Apostle Paul uses the term "brethren" more than 130 times. Many other familial terms are used throughout the New Testament. In contrast, the dominating metaphor for the church today is the business corporation. Viola states, "the pastor is the CEO. The clergy and/or staff is upper management. Evangelism is sales and marketing. The congregation is the clientele. And there is competition with other corporations ("churches") in the same town. But the corporation metaphor has a major problem. Not only is it glaringly absent from the New Testament, it does violence to the spirit of Christianity. Because from God's standpoint, the church is primarily a family. His family, in fact." (pp 99-100).

Subsequent chapters address such topics as the Lord's Supper, church unity, church practice and God's eternal purpose, leadership, decision-making, spiritual covering, authority and submission, denominational covering, the apostolic tradition, etc. I compare it to believing the Bible: if you can believe Gen 1:1, the rest falls into place. If you can catch a vision of God's intended purpose for His church in the first several chapters of this book, the rest just makes sense.

That vision just may ruin you to anything else.

I would highly recommend this book; in fact I did to all my friends. As the companion to Pagan Christianity, this book definitely answers the "What Do I Do Now?" question.

I would take a moment and warn anyone who reads this book, that it has profound implications and will put such a dissatisfaction in your heart for your current experience that you may never be able to go back to the status quo.

Here are a few of the more enlightening quotes from the book:
On Church Unity (119-122)..

"If a group of Christians demands anything beyond a person's acceptance of Christ before admitting that person into fellowship, then that group isn't a church in the biblical sense of the word. It's a sect."

"I believe the division of the Christian church is rooted in the evolution of the clergy/laity class distinction.....Once the clergy/laity fault-line was created, various clergymen began to divide amongst themselves on theological matters. This spawns a self-perpetuating movement that has produced a raft of new sects in every generation."

On the modern clergy system (Page 160)..

"Perhaps the most daunting feature of the clergy system is that it keeps the people it claims to serve in spiritual infancy. Because the clergy system usurps the Christian's right to minister in a spiritual way during corporate gatherings, it ends up debilitating God's people. It keeps them weak and insecure."

"Since the clergy carries the spiritual workload, the majority of the church becomes passive, lazy, self-seeking ("feed me"), and arrested in their spiritual development."

Do you ever wonder why you are bored in Church? It's because you were never meant to be a spectator! Do yourself a favor and read this book!

Derek
SheepleBlog.net

In writing "Reimagining Church", Frank has provided us with an important and necessary sequel to "Pagan Christianity", a book in which he carefully and clearly makes the case that much of what we think we know and experience about 'church' is merely a construct of our traditions and our history. Many of us have recognized this for years and have longed for a relationship with fellow believers that more closely resembles the first century model. Frank has done a wonderful job of showing us where we first went wrong (in "Pagan Christianity") and where we might now make a correction.

As a result, Frank has taken some heat from within the Christian community. Many who are invested in the traditional or institutional church are reluctant to move away from their traditions and comfort zone. But Frank seems to understand that change will require a bold step of leadership and I, for one, am thankful that he has become such a lightning rod for the organic church.

This book and its predecessor are simply essential reads for those of us who love God and care about the future of the Church...

Jim
www.PleaseConvinceMe.com

I was raised in an Evangelical Church, attended a Christian College and even served eight years as a missionary in Japan. I was not disillusioned with the church until our home was plunged into chaos when my son reached thirteen and suddenly erupted in violent behavior. It turned out he had been molested by a fellow missionary as a small boy and was lashing out at his mom and dad for not protecting him. We had no idea what had happened because the mission leadership had covered up the incident. My son was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, which helped explain his violent mood swings. My wife began an affair with her boss and served me divorce papers, then packed my son off to an expensive boarding school and came after me for the money. Later I was diagnosed as manic depressive and lost my job.

In desperation, I turned to my pastor for help. He was too busy watching Monday Night Football to spare me more than just a few minutes of his time. I turned to my family, all church goers, for support. Not only did they refuse to help, but they came to the aid of my ex wife and her new husband. I had to weather the domestic storms alone, since no one from church ever offered help. When I asked the pastor if I could network for employment in the church, he refused on the basis that a bad match would be a poor reflection on the church. So I moved churches. After a year attending a local contemporary church, no one had yet made the effort to get to know me. In disgust, I determined to leave the church for good.

Then I picked up Frank Viola's book, Pagan Christianity and it put my experiences into perspective. He explained why today's church bears little resemblance to the apostolic church that was characterized by such profound love that it turned the ancient world upside down. His next book, Reimagining Church, goes on to describe how the organic church recaptures some of that early passion for Christ and love for one another.

Complaints about the institutional church are often met with the comment, "If you do succeed in finding the perfect church, don't join it because it won't be perfect anymore". No one expects church to be perfect but it certainly should be more than just a casual 'Sunday go to meeting' experience that fails to carry christian community beyond the four walls of the church. I hope Frank's two books can begin to transform the polished, professional and impersonal church into the vibrant, dynamic organic church which he describes in such compelling language.

Craig Olson
Wheaton, IL